Drones hit critical Russian chemical facility, massive fire erupts in Cherepovets
Illustrative photo: fire breaks out at a plant in Cherepovets, Russia (t.me mchs_official)
A major fire has broken out at the PhosAgro plant in Cherepovets (Vologda region, Russia). It is one of the country’s largest facilities producing raw materials used in explosives manufacturing, according to eyewitness accounts on Telegram, local authorities, and OSINT analysts.
According to preliminary reports, unknown drones struck the Apatit plant, which is part of the PhosAgro group.
What happened in Cherepovets
Unidentified drones attacked a factory in the industrial zone of Cherepovets, Vologda region. A fire broke out at the facility, which local residents recorded on video and shared online.
The governor of the Vologda region, Georgy Filimonov, only reported that several drones had been shot down, including over the industrial zone. He did not mention the strike on the plant or the fire.
Drones hit critical Russian chemical facility, massive fire erupts in Cherepovets pic.twitter.com/n8bu1s3NQU
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) April 13, 2026
What kind of facility is it
Photo: Location of the city of Cherepovets in Russia (Google Maps screenshot)
Apatit JSC is one of Russia’s largest producers of ammonia and ammonium nitrate. These substances are critical raw materials for the defense industry, used in the production of explosives and gunpowder.
The plant is part of the PhosAgro group, one of Europe’s largest chemical complexes. The enterprise also produces:
- phosphorus-containing mineral fertilizers
- phosphoric acid
- sulfuric acid
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said that 33 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight across several regions, including Belgorod, Kursk, Rostov, Bryansk, Smolensk regions, and annexed Crimea.
Two ammonia units on fire: OSINT confirms strike
Photo: Satellite images confirm damage to the factory buildings (t.me/kiber_boroshno)
OSINT analysts from the CyberBoroshno channel confirmed strikes on ammonia production at the Cherepovets-Azot plant on April 13, 2026.
According to analysts, videos show thick black smoke rising from two out of three ammonia units — Ammonia-1 and Ammonia-2 — with a combined production capacity of 900,000 tons per year.
There are also reports of a possible strike on ammonia storage facilities. Notably, after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, this storage site had been reinforced with a special metal structure to protect it from drone attacks.
Analysts estimate that the affected units account for:
- about 6% of Russia’s total ammonia production
- around 10% of the country’s overall ammonia output at the plant level
Drone attacks on Russia’s chemical industry continue
As previously reported, in early April, drones attacked the Voronezh region, causing a fire near the Minudobreniya plant in the city of Rossosh, one of Russia’s key chemical facilities. Local authorities did not publicly comment on the incident.
On April 4, Tolyatti was also targeted, where drones struck the city and two chemical plants caught fire simultaneously. There were also reports of an attack in Taganrog, though this remains unconfirmed.
Earlier, on April 3, drones were heading toward Moscow, with Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reporting several being shot down over the capital.
